The Original Betty Boop
The Original Betty Boop ---- ---- Margie Hines from Long Island was the original voice of Betty Boop in the animated cartoon series. According to Hines, she was urged to enter a "Helen Kane Impersonation Contest" and won. She entered three "Boop-Boop-a-Doop" Helen Kane contests and won a contract and played at the Madison and Kenmore theatres. After that, Hines went on to tour the vaudeville stage and she also used to "Boop-Boop-a-Doop" on the Jamaica, WNYJ radio network. While touring the stage, she was discovered by Billy Murray as he had found in her voice exactly what the Fleischers had been seeking for Betty Boop. She was then hired by Louis Diamond to take on the role of Betty Boop and would do the vocals and singing for the character starting in 1930. Hines' first role as Betty Boop was in the animated short Dizzy Dishes. In this cartoon Betty Boop sings "I Have To Have You" on stage. Hines recorded the vocals on the 26th of May, 1930. The cartoon was released on the 9th of August in 1930. Hines' second role was in Barnacle Bill. She recorded the lines for the fair maiden Nancy Lee on the 13th of June in 1930. On the 17th of October of 1930, Hines recorded for Accordion Joe. The cartoon was released on the 12th of December in 1930. The final cartoon Hines recorded for was Mysterious Mose, which she recorded on the 8th of November, in which she sang the theme song by the same name. The cartoon was released on the 26th of December. While doing the voice for the animated character Betty Boop, Hines would say that she did Betty's voice in her own baby-voice and did not relate the vocals to the "Boop-Boop-a-Doop" contests. She also claimed that her "Boop-Boop-a-Doop" routine was based on "hot licks" which is probably better known as scat singing. In 1931, Mae Questel who had also entered the Helen Kane contests made her debut as Betty Boop in Silly Scandals. The role of Betty was shared by both women, and they would both usually take turns playing the character and in some cartoons would share the role. Hines recorded her lines for Bimbo's Initiation on the 12th of June in 1931 and the cartoon was released on the 24th of July in 1931. The next cartoon she recorded for was In the Shade of the Old Apple Sauce, on the 17th of July in 1931. The cartoon was released on the 16th of October in 1931. She was also featured as Betty Boop in Betty Boop in Boop-Boop-a-Doop which she recorded on the 1st of October, 1931. The cartoon wasn't released until January, 1932. On the 4th of August in 1931, Hines recorded for Mask-A-Raid, and the cartoon was released on the 7th of November in 1931. On the 1st of September, Hines recorded for Any Rags?, which was released on the 2nd of January in 1932. On the 13th of November in 1931, Margie recorded for Swim or Sink. She sang the song "Oh, Mama What Can We Do?". The animated short was released on the 11th of March in 1932. On the 16th of December in 1931, Margie recorded for The Dancing Fool which was released on the 8th of April in 1932. Other cartoons she recorded in 1931 were Jack and the Beanstalk and Dizzy Red Riding Hood. On the 25th of September in 1931, Max Fleischer attended a Betty Boop radio event at the Madison Square Garden in New York City, which was the Radio Electrical World Fair. At that event Max introduced Margie Hines as the voice behind Betty Boop and projected a photo of her on the screen. After the screen had played, Fleischer then projected a Betty Boop cartoon for the audience. Hines recorded A Hunting We Will Go in 1932. Wait Till the Sun Shines Nellie, on the 27th of January, 1932, and Betty Boop's Bizzy Bee, recorded on the 27th of April, 1932. The last original Betty Boop cartoon to feature the voice of Margie Hines was I'll Be Glad When You're Dead, recorded August 11th, 1932. The cartoon wasn't released until the 25th of November in 1932. Hines' contract with Paramount Pictures ended near the end of 1931, she recorded her final lines for Betty Boop and then was replaced by Mae Questel. After her role had ended, she then went to tour on the vaudeville stage as "Miss Majorie Hines Betty Boop In Person" and not too long after appeared in the live-action film short The Perfect Suitor as leading lady beside Benny Rubin. The Van Beuren Studios were making cartoons which would feature vocals. They decided to sign Margie Hines to do the voices and the singing in her popular baby-talk style and opera style for their cartoons. One of the main characters Hines portrayed for the studio was Countess Cat. When Hines portrayed the character, she made her sound almost like Betty Boop. Most of the characters she voiced would sing in the popular baby-talk style, minus the odd few. In 1933 Hines appeared in the film short Strange Case of Hennessy. And around that time was performing with orchestras. In 1934 she continued to perform to live audiences and also for a short time joined a Betty Boop girl group called Four Betty Boop Girls, which consisted of Mae Questel, Bonnie Poe and Little Ann Little. Little Ann Little would often steal the title "The Original Betty Boop" and would often lie and claim that she provided the voices for Betty in Margie Hines' earlier roles. It turns out that Little Ann Little, did not debut as Betty Boop until 1933, with her first cartoon as Betty being Betty Boop's Big Boss. In the earlier cartoons Margie Hines started the role from 1930 up until 1932. Mae Questel from 1931-1934. Harriet Lee did one cartoon in 1931 as Betty Boop in the Dangerous Nan McGrew role. Little Ann Little from 1933-1933 and Bonnie Poe from 1933-1934. Poe who had originally provided the role for Betty in one of the several Betty Boop radio shows, and live-action film Hollywood on Parade No. A-8, briefly took over for Mae Questel because Questel was preparing for a baby at the time. After touring Hines continued to make appearances on radio shows, and would also continue to perform to live audiences and also ditched her Betty Boop singing style. In 1938 Margie Hines who was the original voice of Betty Boop returned to the role as Betty Boop, when Mae Questel retired and Hines voiced the character up until Betty's retirement in 1939. Hines also had a background role in the Fleishers Gulliver's Travels among numerous other Fleischer animated cartoons including the Stone Age series, and she also provided the sobs for the Fleischer's leading lady Princess Glory. Lovey Warren did the speaking voice for Glory and the singing voice was provided by Jessica Dragonette. During this time Hines had married Jack Mercer, the voice of Popeye and she became the official voice of Olive Oyl up until she divorced Jack Mercer, and was later ultimately replaced by Mae Questel, and not too long after retired from show business. Hines vanished and never returned to the limelight, she was never seen or heard of again. Today Margie Hines contributions to the Betty Boop cartoons are often overshadowed by Mae Questel, who in history is deemed the most famous Betty Boop. However, Hines was the original and also portrayed Betty in her original series up until the character's retirement, making Hines also known in history as the other Betty Boop and Olive Oyl. ---- Category:Betty Boop Category:Voices of Betty Boop Category:Margie Hines Category:2020 Category:The Original Betty Boop Category:The Original Voice of Betty Boop Category:Featured